Bestest Dog Birthday Cake

Since it all seems like it’s going to the dogs, why not go all in and bake for your favorite pooch?

State Attorney for Palm Beach County Dave Aronberg is my guest on this week’s Secret Life of Cookies podcast (which should post on Monday, 2/6) and we discussed the state of many of the legal cases in the national spotlight. Now, Dave may be an accomplished and brilliant legal mind, but he’d never baked before. That didn’t stop him. Not when he could make something nice for his very, very adorable dogs, the beagle-basset hound Geddy and Labradoodle Blu.

This is to prove that Dave Aronberg not only baked on my podcast, but was still smiling at the end.

I consulted with my canine kitchen companion Bosco who without hesitation agreed that Dave was a genius and baking a cake for dogs was Nobel-prizeworthy brilliant. He also suggested Dave be on every episode of the podcast going forward, and then asked for money so he could take a bus to Florida to vacation with him.

Oh, like I wouldn’t give that face whatever it wanted.

The nice thing about baking for dogs is short of burning the cake to a crisp, they’ll eat whatever you put in front of them. Indeed, you could drop the raw batter on the floor and it would still be a 4-star experience for them.

Which is one of the many reasons we love dogs.

(My cats Calvin and Clyde would like to add they enjoyed the icing too, but very much preferred the maple glaze on my pancake muffins last week.)

Important Note About Baking for Dogs:

Check the ingredient listed on your applesauce, yogurt and peanut butter to make sure there is NO Xylitol or other artificial sweeteners. Xylitol is toxic to dogs.

And with one mighty hork, the cake was eaten by Bosco as Rosie watched in awe. Rosie is my brother Paul’s beloved ‘doodle.

Bestest Dog Birthday Cake: Printable Version

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Bestest Dog Birthday Cake

for Geddy, Blu, Bosco and Cookie (RIP)

What You’ll Need:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural. DO NOT use peanut butter with Xylitol)

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

3 tablespoons water

1/2 cup applesauce (use one without added sugar)

1 large egg

For the icing:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (NO Xylitol)

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For a layer cake, grease 2 6” cake pans, or for a snacking cake,1 8” round or square cake pan

3. In a large bowl, put all the ingredients from the whole wheat flour to the eggs.

   Obviously, do not add the icing ingredients. Mix by hand until well-blended. Unlike with a cake for humans, if you over-mix this and it gets a little rubbery, your dog will probably like it more.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes for 6” cake pans and 20 to 25 minutes for 8” pan. The middle of the cake should bounce back if touched gently with a, preferably your, finger.

5. Let cool completely.

6. Make the icing: Mix the yogurt and peanut butter together. Taste the icing. Consider eating it yourself, maybe with a spoonful or three of maple syrup over it and some sliced strawberries.

7. Ice the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve and before your counter-surfing dog gobbles it up.

Take loads of photos of your Fidos enjoying the cake and please post the on my Twitter @marissarothkopf.